1. Technical Field.
This invention generally relates to electronic timers, and in particular, it relates to an electronic breast feeding timer and alarm for timing feeding durations, intervals between feedings, indicating from which breast the baby last fed, and reminding the mother that it is time to switch the baby to the other breast during a feeding session.
2. Background Art.
The resurgence of breast feeding has produced a heightened awareness among the medical community and nursing mothers concerning difficulties encountered while breast feeding. It is generally accepted that the best way to reduce nursing related problems and physical discomfort, and at the same time insure an equal and adequate supply of milk from both breasts, is to maintain a fairly set feeding pattern. The preferred feeding pattern has the baby nursing from both breasts during any one particular feeding. Because the baby feeds most vigorously at the beginning of a feeding session, the breast last nursed during the previous session is the one on which the next session should start. After the baby has fed from the first breast for a period of time, usually about ten minutes, the mother switches the baby to the other breast and allows the baby to finish feeding on the second breast.
While the preferred feeding pattern is simple enough in theory, in practice it can be very difficult for the mother to remember from which breast the baby last fed and to make sure that the baby is not allowed to feed too long on the first breast, thereafter neglecting the second breast and allowing it to become painfully engorged. Oftentimes, it is also necessary to monitor the length of time between feedings, and the length of time of each feeding. Keeping track of the breast from which the baby last fed, how long the baby has been feeding on the first breast, how long each feeding session lasts, and the length of time between feedings can be quite confusing and complicated, especially for an anxious new mother.
To help mothers remind themselves from which breast the baby last fed, SCHAWEL, U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,734, teaches a nursing bra with an indicator switch having two positions, one designating the right breast and one designating the left breast. While this device serves as a reminder as to the breast from which the baby last nursed, in order to use the reminding feature, the mother must always be wearing the bra. Also, the device does not make any provisions for timing the various feeding related events, nor does it provide a reminder feature to remind the mother that it is time to change the baby from one breast to another during a feeding session.
What is needed is a device which keeps track of the breast from which the baby last fed, the time interval between feedings, and the elapsed time since the initiation of the current feeding session. What is also needed is a device which alerts the mother to the fact that a particular preselected time interval has passed since the initiation of the current feeding session and that it is now time to switch breasts.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a timing device which displays a visual indication of which breast the baby last fed from, the length of time between feeding sessions, and the length of time elapsed since the initiation of the current feeding session. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a programmable alarm by which the mother is made aware that a preselected time interval has expired and it is now time to switch the baby to the second breast.